Method for manufacture of cereal food products



June 17, 1952 D. HALE ErAL METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE OF CEREAL FOOD PRODUCTS Filed July 2'7, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l IIN) June 17, 1952 D. HALE ETAL METHOD Foa MANUFACTURE oF CEREM. Foon PRonucTs Filed July 27, 1949 5 She FIGB.

ets-Sheet 2 June 17, 1952 D. HALE ETAL METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE OF' CEREAL FOOD PRODUCTS Filed July 27, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 .w M #225, .N @e f 6 oo N N- 8 QM@ Q G. w a w 4, ,w\ n 1 #www mw F Dw EW j June 17, 1952 D. HALE ETAL 2,600,532

METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE oF CEREAL FQoD PRODUCTS Filed July 27, 1949 5 sheets-sheet 4 June 17, 1952 D. HALE ETAL 2,600,532

METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE OF CEREAL FOOD PRODUCTS Filed July 2v, 1949 5 sheets-sheet 5 FIGQIB.

Patented June 17, 1952 USNTED STATES PATE-NT A2,600,532?,

METHOD IFR. MANUFACTURE F CEREAL FOD'PRODUCTS l Douglas Hale, University City, lM0., and Ellsworth 4I. Carpenter, Battle Creek, Mich., fassignors'to Ralston Purina Company, St. fLouis, Mo., Ia corporation-.of Missouri Application July 27, 1949, Serial No. 107004 -6 Claims. l l

This invention `relates .to cereal `food products and :their vmanufacture, and r'more particularly to improved lmethods df Lmakin-'g 'biscuit-type cereal vfood prcductsfcomposed o`f-shredd`ed cereal grain.

l"Iheinvention generally is-concerned with the provision -of a biscuit-type Vcereal food `product composed-of cooked, puiedandtoasted shredded cereal `grain'wherein the shreds of grain are uniforxnly'and completely puffed, rather than being bakedhard in some'lpar'ts'and incompletely puffed in others. In general, 'this is accomplished by making theproduct in the form-of a hollow biscuit consisting of ahllow -empty shell which is `composed'o'f a-network o'f shredded-cereal grain, thereby having amultiplicityfo'f openings therein. `By using such a network, it is possible not only to dry the shreds Vuniformly but also to have hot pu'ifmg air in a puffing oven-completely surround all the shreds,'thereby to insure uniform, instantaneous'and'complete puing. yIn manufacturing the biscuits according to the invention, cooked shredded cereal grain isiormed-into a plane network of shreds which have a vermicular form in a certain direction, vbeing substantially spaced 'from -one another in that direction. Then `the network `is Yformed into individual hollow 'bodies corresponding vin size vto vthe size of the 'biscuits to 'be fmade, land these fhollow 'bodies are puied. Other ffeatures will-be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention-accordingly comprises the elements-*and combinations -of elements, steps .and sequence 'of steps, 'features of construction .and 'manipulatiomandarrangements of parts which "will be exemplified in the structures, and methods `hereinafter.describ'eLrand the scope of the appli- 'catindflwhich`willbe indicated in the following claims.

lnthe ac'companying drawings, Vin which .several 'dif various possible embodiments of the vinyention are illustrated,

iFig. L1 'iis fa V.flow 'fsheet, `diagrammatically illus- `ti'ating `an `apparatus A:andiprocess of :this invention;

2-is '5a plan view, with parts .broken away and ishowninsec'tion, of fa iset .of shredding and network-forming v.rolls of 'lthe apparatus;

F3 .is ra vertical section 'taken on line 3 3 dfiig. 2;

Fig. is a ugreatly enlarged fragmentary 'plan view-:of'a 'network-formedfby the rolls ofFigsfZ 116.23;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken -on line 5--5 oflFg. iL4;

'-Fig. F6 is an -'elevation of a rslitter Lof the "apparatusbeinga sectiontakenion line 6-'.61of;Fig.1

IFig. y'l @is y'a perspective -.view :of a cross-.cut :ibis- .cuit-.forming roll of the iapparatus, with -gip'arts broken away and .shown .in section;

Fig. \8 iis a vertical section 'taken substantially on line V8---3 of Fig. :7; v

. Fig. .9 is a much v:enlargediperspective view :of an individual .biscuit as Y'formed `by the .roll of :Fig .7, and prior to puing; l

11Gis a '.perspectivewiew ipfthefFign 9 :biscuit afterpuiing.; Y

Fig. 1'1 iis .a VView like Fig. A2 r(except fthat it is turned on the page) illustrating@ m'odifiedzform of the shredding and :network-forming rolls.'

Fig. 12 is 'a Asection atakenon `line .I2-I2 l,of Fig. 1l;

Fig. 13'isa'view like Figi-7 illustrating-ammied form of 'cross-.cut "biscuitforming troll. .with parts :broken away .and shown Ein section;

Fig. '14 is a "perspective view of :fthe 'fbiscui-t .formed by the Fig. v13"roll,prior to puflng;

Fig. 15 is `a perspective uview of fthe Fig. `14 biscuit .afterpuing; y

Fig. 16 isf'an .enlarged vcrosssection ofathe 10 'form of nished biscuit, :being taken dine `IIS-lli of Fig. 10; and,

Fig. v1'7 is an enlarged cross-'section pof the 15 form of iinished biscuit,l'being taken :on :line 'li-I1 of 15.

Corresponding reference characters :indicate corresponding .parts throughoutthe severalvicws of the drawings.

The invention Ais herein described 'fin :reference to the production offarice foodproduct, problems in regard to which itbestnsolves. lIt wi1l"be-un derstood that the basiuprinciplesof theinvention .are applicable to cereal'grains other-than rice. for example, wheatandl cornf and foats.

First referring to Fig. v1,:i'n preparing a `rice product of this invention, "dehulled 'and degcrmi- -nized `whole-grain vvrice lis :cooked -with :suitable avoring ingredients in :a ,pressure vcocker'll. Flavoring ingredients may .be `varied depending upon the flavor desired fin the finished v.prod-uct. Salt and sugar may-.be'suicientffor the` purpose. It may be desirable to `use-.somenfialted barley .extract to help give .a light-golden color andto bring out the kdelicate rice navor. The -.salt content should-beabout 2% of .the .rice used. .Thesugar content .should be -from .about .3% `to .4%. .If malted barley .is used, .it .should .be.about,-2% .to 3%. 'I'his Arice is cooked atabout 1-6-20 p. s. i. -steam pressure-for about :7G-"120; minutes. The moisture content .of the cooked :rice :runs from about.32% :to .36%.

.Cooked trice ydischarged Sfrom the pressure kcooker yil v.is .carried '.byaa conveyor-r3 .to-.azthresher 5 for separating the individual grains. The grains drop into a dryu'ng reel 1 sloping downward to a lump breaker 9 which breaks up any lumps that may form. The grains drop out of the reel and fall -by gravity through a drier II. An upward low of air is maintained in the drier. Rice from the drier is delivered to and heated in a steamer I3 and then allowed to temper in a tempering bin I5. The tempering equalizes the moisture distribution throughout the rice and toughens the individual grains before shredding. The tempering may not be necessary if after drying its moisture distribution is correct. The ricev is preferably dried down to from about 22%- to 27% moisture and brought in the steamer to a temperature adapted for best results in shredding, the latter preferably being carried out at from about 130 F. to 150 F.

The cooked and tempered rice grains, having a moisture content from about 22% to 27%, and

at a temperature from about 130 F. to 150 are shredded in two sets I1 and I9 of shredding and network-forming rolls to form two latticelike sheet networks 2i and V23 of cooked rice shreds. The networks formed by the rolls are supported and moved forward on an endless collector belt conveyor 25. The set of rolls I9 is located rearward of the set of rolls I1 in relation to the direction of travel of the belt conveyor 25 so that the sheet 2I formed 'bythe set of rolls I1 is deposited flatwise upon the sheet 23 formed by the set of rolls I9, thus bringing the sheets into laminated relationship.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the set of rolls I1 comprises a combination corrugated and crosscut water-cooled roll 21 peripherally engaging a smooth water-cooled roll 29 and cooperating with the latter to shred the rice and form the network 2I of shreds. The roll 21 is formed with closely spaced annular grooves 3I deiining its corrugations and with closely spaced generally transverse cross-cut grooves 33 which are preferably though not necessarily cut on the bias. Rice fed between the rolls 21 and 29 is shredded and formed into a lattice-like network consisting of continuous longitudinal vermicular major shreds 35 and small transverse iilament minor shreds 31 (Figs. 4 and 5). The annular grooves 3| are considerablydeeper and wider than the crosscut grooves 33, consequently the longitudinal y vermicular major shreds 35 are of considerably greater cross-sectional area than the transverse filament minor shreds 31.

' The set of rolls I1 is arranged with the corrugated and cross-cut roll 21 in front and the smooth roll 29 in back in respect to the direction of travel of the networks. The set oi rolls I9 is similar to the set of rolls I1 in comprising an identical corrugated and cross-cut roll 21 and an identical smooth roll 29, but in the set of rolls I9 the corrugated and cross-cut roll 21 is in back and the smooth roll 29 in front. The bias of the cross-cut grooves 33 is of value'in preventing the rolls from clogging, particularly when the rolls 21 and 29, which are of the same diameter, are driven at somewhat diierent speeds. Thetwo lattice-like networks 2I and 23 of cooked shredded rice are carried forward by the belt conveyor 25 through a rotary longitudinal slitter 39 (Figs. 1 and 6) which slits them into ribbons of relatively narrow width (of the order of 11% of an inch, for example). Thus, there issues from the slitter ribbons 4I of the network material 2I superimposed on ribbons 43 of the network material 23. The large vermicular shreds are longitudinal and the ne filaments are lateral with respect to the ribbon lengths. 'I'he average diameters of the vermicular shreds are several times those of the filaments. The slitter 39 consists of an upperknife roll 45 having a series of circular cutting blades 46 spaced at axial intervals corresponding to the width of the ribbons to be out and a lower mating roll 41 having a series of grooves 48 receiving the blades. The conveyor 25 is guided under the lower roll 41 as indicated at 49 in Fig. l.

The conveyor 25 then carries the ribbons from the'slitter into the nip of a set of forming rolls 5I (Figs. 1', '7 and 8) which are adapted to convert the ribbons into tube-like bodies or shells 53 such as illustrated in Fig. 9. The set of forming rolls consists of a cross-cut roll 55 and a smooth anvil roll 51. The cross-cut roll is formed on its periphery with axially extending ridges 59. These are spaced around the periphery of the roll at equal intervals corresponding to the width of the biscuits to be formed, and define axial grooves 6I in the periphery of the roll. The cross-cut roll is also formed with peripheral ridges 63 located in radial planes which are axially spaced at intervals corresponding to the width of the ribbons 4I and 43 and consequently corresponding to the length of the biscuits to be formed. These ridges 53 are spaced radially inward of the axial ridges 59 as indicated at 65. The ridges 59 in conjunction with the ridges 63 define shallow pockets 51. Ports 69 extend through the shell of the cross-cut roll 55 from the bottom of each pocket to the interior of the roll. Air under pressure is introduced into the interior of the roll through a hollow trunnion 1I for the roll and is directed by a iixed nozzle 12 to blow out through a row of ports B9 located forward of the nip of the rolls in the direction of their travel to eject formed biscuits from the pockets.

The superimposed ribbons 4I and 43 are ied forward into the nip of the rolls 55 and 51. The axial ridges 59 of the roll 55 press the ribbons together along lines which extend transversely across the ribbons at longitudinally spaced intervals to form the individual hollow, pillow-shaped, open-ended tubular bodies 53 illustrated in Fig. 9, cutting olf such bodies at the foremost end of each pair of ribbons 4I and 43. Each of the bodies or shells 53 consists of two rectangular layers 15 and 11 of the network of the cooked shredded rice sealed together along their two lengthwise opposite edges by the action of the axial cross-cut ridges 59 against the anvil roll 51, as indicated at 19. The sealing is between the ends of the vermiculate shreds. The tubular bodies are open at their ends, as indicated at 8l, due to the ridges B3 being spaced radially inward from the ridges 59. The diameter of the cross-cut roll 55 is greater than that of the anvil `roll 51 and, as it forms the bodies, it bulges out the network material of the upper ribbons 4I into the pockets 61. As the bodies emerge from between the rolls, air from within-the crossf-cut roll 55 ejects the bodies from the pockets.

The bodies 53 formed by the rolls 55 and 51 are carried through a drying oven 83 (Fig. 1) wherein they are dried to about 8% to 15% moisture content. This takes from about twenty to thirty minutes with a drying temperature from about F. to 250 F. c

Then, the dried (8% to 15% moisture) bodies 53 are puffed in a pufng oven 85 (Fig. 1) wherein they are subjected to hot air ata temperature from about 450 F. to 550 F. for from one to two minutes, or until the shreds puit, but not until they start to burn or improperly discolor. The puiiing operation lowers the moisture content of the bodies to approximately 3% or 4%. Being in the nature of a hot iiash, it also causes the shreds to expand or puif and form the biscuits of the hollow, generally open-ended pillow-shape illustrated in Fig. 10.

Finally, the puffed biscuits 13 are toasted in a toasting oven 81 (Fig. l) at a temperature from about 250 F. to 275 F. to provide a delicate golden brown toasted color, and, after toasting, are quickly cooled with air at room temperature in a cooler S9 (Fig. 1) so that they may be quickly packed.

Figs. 11 and l2 illustrate a modified form of the shredding and network-forming rolls I1 and I9, wherein each of sets I1 and i9 comprises a corrugated water-cooled roll 9I cooperating with a cross-cut water-cooled roll 93 to shred the rice and form the network of shreds. As shown, the roll 9! is formed with closely spaced annular grooves 95 and the roll 93 is formed with shallower closely spaced generally transverse crosscut grooves 91 which are preferably though not necessarily cut on the bias. These rolls `function to form a network substantially like that formed by the rolls 21 and 29. When they are used, the roll 9| is the back roll in the set I 9 and the front roll in the set I1.

Fig. 13 illustrates a cross-cut biscuit-forming roll IGI similar to the roll 55 but modied to form closed-end instead of open-end biscuits. The roll ISI is identical with the roll 55 except that the peripheral ridges H33 of the roll I0! eX- tend to the same outer diameter as the axial` ridges 59, instead of being spaced radially inward from the axial ridges as in the roll 55. The roll IGI forms the hollow, pillow-shaped, closed-end tubular bodies |95 illustrated in Fig. 14. These are sealed along their two lengthwise opposite edges as indicated at 19, in the same manner as the bodies 53 of Fig. 9, but, in addition, are sealed at their two ends, as indicated at 191, by the action of the ridges ID3. The bodies |05 are dried, pulled, toasted, and cooled, as in the case of the bodies 13, to form the biscuits of the hollow, closed-end generally pillow-shape illustrated in Fig. 15.

The formation of the biscuit from the latticelike networks of vermicular shreds joined by filaments is most advantageous in that with this formation the superficial surface area of shreds contacted by hot air in the puing oven is very large in proportion to the volume of the shreds. Thus, all of the shreds are substantially uniformly iiash puffed, with a sort of explosive or popping action, which would not occur otherwise. With the network formation, and particularly the formation with the transverse lament shreds 31 considerably smaller than the longitudinal vermicular shreds 35, wherein there is such a high ratio of surface area to volume of the shreds, and with the hollow empty shell formation, the hot pulling air can surround the individual shreds of the network inside and outside and pui them uniformly with substantially no incompletely puffed or merely hard-baked shreds. This is particularly true of the vermiculate shreds.

As shown in cross-sectional Figs. 16 and 17, each biscuit consists of a hollow empty shell with the puied vermiculate major shreds 35 forming a cage the shreds of which are joined laterally only by the small puffed filaments or minor shreds 31. The result is a desirable, delicate hollow product which is suiciently strong to withstand abrasion without crumbling when packaged, but having a frangibility (due to its hollow forni and the delicate filaments) that when chewed it crunches with slight effort.

Cross reference under Rule 78 is made to our divisional application on the apparatus herein disclosed entitled Apparatus for Manufacturing a Cereal Food Product, Serial No. 181,804, led August 28, 1950.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above methods and resulting products without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. The method of producing a cereal food product comprising the steps of cooking the cereal to form a moist mass, forming the mass into elongate sheets and perforating the sheets, superimposing one perforated sheet on another, segmenting by pressing the superimposed sheets to form hollow bodies of pillow-like form, each body having one wall which is a segment of one sheet and another wall which is a segment of the other sheet, said walls being perforate throughout and edge-joined, and heat puiing said hollow bodies.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sheets are wider than the desired bodies and the segmenting is preceded by a slitting of the superimposed sheets into ribbons having the width desired for the bodies.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the perforating step is accompanied by a shredding step resulting in the formation of each sheet into a lattice-like network of shreds adapted readily to be puied intersticially during said heat puffing step.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sheets are wider than the desired bodies and the segmenting is preceded by a slitting of the superimposed sheets into ribbons having the width desired for the bodies, and wherein the perforating step is accompanied by a shredding step which imparts a lattice-like form to each sheet having relatively large vermicular shreds extending parallel to the ribbons and relatively small transverse vermicular shreds.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the segmenting by pressing joins only two edges of each pillow-like hollow perforated body.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the segmenting by pressing joins four edges of each pillow-like hollow perforated body.

DOUGLAS HALE. EILSWORTH J. CARPENTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 993,922 Wallace May 30, 1911 1,102,614 Valentine July 7, 1914 1,195,114 Smith Aug. 15, 1916 2,013,003 Loose Sept. 3, 1935 2,338,588 Kishlar Jan. 4, 1944 

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A CEREAL FOOD PRODUCT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF COOKING THE CEREAL TO FORM A MOIST MASS, FORMING THE MASS INTO ELONGATE SHEETS AND PERFORATING THE SHEETS, SUPERIMPOSING ONE PERFORATED SHEET ON ANOTHER, SEGMENTING BY PRESSING THE SUPERIMPOSED SHEETS TO FORM HOLLOW BODIES OF PILLOW-LIKE FORM, EACH BODY HAVING ONE WALL WHICH IS A SEGMENT OF ONE SHEET AND ANOTHER WALL WHICH IS A SEGMENT OF THE OTHER SHEET, SAID WALLS BEING PERFORATE THROUGHOUT AND EDGE-JOINED, AND HEAT PUFFING SAID HOLLOW BODIES. 